Stormwater channel and method for improving a stormwater channel ecosystem

Abstract

A stormwater channel includes a central channel bed flanked by left and right walls, with riparian planters and riparian reservoirs extending longitudinally through the channel. Water flows through the planters and reservoirs. Each planter contains plant-anchoring material and biochar. Riparian plant seeds or seedlings are planted in the planters and watered to form a riparian ecosystem. The stormwater channel also includes a fish migration channel adjacent to the riparian planters and reservoirs, enabling anadromous fish to swim upstream through the channel. Fish can be detected, trapped, and relocated past barriers using a drone.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62 / 919,411, filed Mar. 13, 2019, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by this reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The invention relates to stormwater channels and methods for improving the ecosystems of stormwater channels and restoring riparian habitat in urban, suburban, and surrounding locales.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Large cities and their suburbs are typically so built up and covered in asphalt and concrete that only a small fraction of incident rainwater is absorbed into the ground. Stormwater and flood control systems are typically lined with concrete and designed to move water away from the area, toward the sea, rather than to capture the water for future use. In Los Angeles County, for example, the average annual rainfall from 1877 through 2018 was roughly 56 billion gallons, yet most of that water flowed across the basin into the Pacif...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a modified version of a stormwater channel that includes plant beds and reservoirs that allow water to flow through them. This channel also includes a fish migration channel for anadromous fish to move upstream through the channel. The technical effect of this invention is that it creates a more efficient and eco-friendly way to manage and control the flow of water in a complex system. Additionally, it provides a way to trap fish that can move through the channel and move them to a more suitable location.

Problems solved by technology

In Los Angeles County, for example, the average annual rainfall from 1877 through 2018 was roughly 56 billion gallons, yet most of that water flowed across the basin into the Pacific Ocean in mere hours, leaving little positive benefit to people and nature.

Where stormwater holding basins are employed, they generally suffer from a number of problems: they tend to be shallow and prone to substantial loss of water by evaporation; they are susceptible to wind-borne pollution and algae blooms; they foster mosquito breeding; and they tend to flood.

To make matters worse, natural waterways that pass through metropolitan areas have been encased in concrete and “tamed,” at great cost to riparian ecosystems and flora and fauna in and near the area.

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